


Biters

by pcrrycox



Category: Scrubs (TV)
Genre: Angst, Established Relationship, F/F, Fluff, JDox, M/M, Reidspinosa, Smut, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-21
Updated: 2017-01-03
Packaged: 2018-09-01 09:45:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8619604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pcrrycox/pseuds/pcrrycox
Summary: It happened on a Thursday. Perry Cox thought this ironic – of all days, the world had to go to shit on a Thursday. He had been trying to rest in the on-call room when JD threw the door open and grabbed Perry’s arm, practically dragging him off the bed.





	1. Pack Your Things

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this idea in my head for a while, so I decided to give writing it a shot. I'm really excited to see where this goes, and I hope you'll all bear with me if I don't update quickly (full time job and all that). 
> 
> Anyway, this is a Scrubs Zombie AU with established JDox and Reidspinosa. It's set several years after the beginning of the series and the city has just fallen victim to the Outbreak.
> 
> I made a playlist for the fic as well. You can listen to it here: http://8tracks.com/savefolieadeux/biters
> 
> Please enjoy, and feel free to leave comments and kudos!

(Graphic by yours truly. You can find me on tumblr at pcrrycox.tumblr.com)

 

              It happened on a Thursday. Perry Cox thought this ironic – of all days, the world had to go to shit on a _Thursday._ He had been trying to rest in the on-call room when JD threw the door open and grabbed Perry’s arm, practically dragging him off the bed.

              “Come on, we have to go!” JD said, sounding terrified.

              “What the hell are you talking about?” Perry asked, groggy.

              “We don’t have time,” JD insisted, pulling Perry to his feet. “It’s happening.”

              Perry let JD lead him out the door and down the hall, which was flooded with hordes of panicked faces calling for loved ones. Among them, Perry saw, were not only patients and visitors but hospital staff as well. He knew immediately that it had really happened and that it was serious. Perry took JD’s hand firmly in his own, lacing their fingers together to ensure they weren’t separated in the chaos. Eventually, JD cut through the crowd and somehow they made it outside. What Perry saw rocked him to his core.

              Groups of people – or not really _people,_ Perry supposed – were heading for the hospital.  They were moving slowly, jerkily.  Their eyes were glazed over, almost white, and the stench of rotting flesh was almost too much to handle. Despite their slow movements, they were clearly still dangerous and Perry heard a bloodcurdling scream as one sank its teeth into its target. Biters. They were here.

              The news reports had been right – big cities would be the first to fall.  They’d been urging for weeks, since the start of the virus, that people in highly populated areas get to safety before it was too late.  Perry hadn’t thought much of the reports of the dead walking the earth.  It was too ridiculous; it had to be some sort of hoax.

              Perry had never believed in the supernatural, the unexplainable. He trusted science. And reason. He understood epidemics and pandemics and outbreaks – hell, he’d made it through the SARS outbreak, hadn’t he? He’d studied every other major pandemic in med school, but this was different. The dead didn’t come back to life. A virus was easy to understand, but there was no virus in the world that could reanimate a corpse.

              “We’re meeting Turk,” JD called over his shoulder, loud enough that Perry could hear him over the screaming and shouting. “Carla and Elliot, too.”

              “Where?” Perry asked, breaking out of his thoughts and hurrying up to jog alongside JD.

              “Just outside of the city,” JD said, finally looking over at Perry. “We’ll have to go on foot, though. The streets are too congested. Everyone’s trying to get out all at once.”

              “We need to stop at home first,” Perry said firmly. “We need food, water… weapons.”

              “Weapons,” JD echoed under his breath. “It all happened so fast. I thought the news was just… exaggerating.”

              “We all did,” Perry said gently, taking the lead as they walked quickly toward their apartment. He didn’t dare let down his guard. The crowd was starting to thin, but that didn’t mean they weren’t in danger.

             

              Neither of them spoke again until they were safely in their apartment, the door locked securely behind them. “Pack what you can carry, just the necessities,” Perry said to JD, though he didn’t let go of his hand right away.

              JD turned into Perry, wrapping his arms tightly around him. Perry returned the embrace, rubbing JD’s back reassuringly. “I’ll keep you safe,” he murmured. “I promise you.”

              JD nodded, just trying to keep his breathing even. “I love you,” he whispered after a few long moments. “No matter what happens, I –”

              Perry cut JD off with a quick kiss. “I know,” he said quickly. “I love you too, but we’re not saying anything that sounds like a goodbye. You and me, we’re gonna be just fine. We’ll meet up with the others and we’ll find a safe place and we’ll be together the whole time. You understand me?”

              JD looked up at Perry and nodded. “I’ll go pack.”

 

              When they had all the necessities packed (and Perry genuinely had to convince JD that haircare items were not _necessities_ ) – food, water, knives, a handgun that Perry had bought years ago and had only used at a firing range once, spare clothes, flashlights, spare batteries, and a menagerie of other supplies that might come in handy, they set off for the city limits toward the spot upon which they had all agreed. Perry had thought it was a ridiculous idea when JD suggested it, but when the occasional news story started turning into an everyday occurrence, he’d agreed.

              Perry kept close to JD, ready to protect him from anyone – or anything – that might come their way.  Luckily, once they got out of the heart of the city, the crowd thinned to just a trickle and then to nothing at all. They reached their meeting place just as the sun began to set and the temperature began to drop.

              “Turk?” JD called hesitantly. “Turk, it’s me.”

              There was some rustling in the trees behind them and Perry spun around, hunting knife in hand. “Jesus, Gandhi, give a little warning, would you?” he muttered, loosening his grip on the knife just slightly as Turk came into view.

              “Sorry,” Turk replied. “Just had to make sure it was really you guys. The news was saying _they_ don’t look much different right after the turn.”

              “Yeah, apart from the rotting flesh,” Carla said bitterly, walking up behind Turk, Elliot in tow.

              “We should get going,” JD said, pleased to see they were all here. “We have to find somewhere safe for the night.”

              “I know a place,” Perry assured him, a protective arm around his waist. “We should be there by dark.”

             

              Perry was right; the sun had just fallen below the horizon when they walked up to the front steps of a rather large cabin.

              “I forgot about this place,” JD said softly, running his hand over the wooden railing.  “It’s been years.”

              Perry came up behind JD, putting a hand on the small of his back.  “This is where I first told you I loved you,” he murmured, kissing JD’s cheek. “Come on, let’s get inside.”

              The others followed Perry and JD up the stairs and Perry had to work the key in the lock to get it to open.  “I only come up here once a year to make sure everything’s in working order,” he informed them.  “Probably doesn’t look pretty, but everything should be functional.”

              He flipped on the lights after feeling for the switch for several moments.  The lights flickered on and illuminated the large living room, complete with a flat screen TV, a sectional couch, and two recliners. 

              “Damn, this place is _nice,_ ” Turk said appreciatively.  “How come I never knew about it?”

              “Because we all work too damn much and haven’t taken a vacation in years,” Perry replied, kicking off his shoes near the door.  “Kitchen’s just past the den and there’s a bathroom down that way.  All the bedrooms are upstairs, there’s four of them, and there’s two more bathrooms up there. Anything you need, go ahead and take.”

              “We should try and get more food tomorrow,” Carla piped up.  “We need to stock up if we’re staying here a while and we don’t know how bad it’ll get in the city.”

              “Good idea,” Perry agreed. “Get all the non-perishables we can find in case the electricity goes down.”

              “How secure is this place?” Elliot asked softly, glancing around at the large windows.

              “All the doors and windows lock, but that’s about the best I can do,” Perry says with a shrug.  “Probably a good idea if we turn the lights out as soon as possible, though.  We don’t want to attract attention to ourselves.”

              “I’ll start putting the food away,” JD volunteered, grabbing his and Perry’s bags and heading toward the kitchen. 

              Turk followed a few moments later with his bag, along with Carla’s and Elliot’s.  “Hey,” he said, walking up behind JD, who was placing cans in the pantry.  “You doin’ okay?”

              JD shrugged.  “Life as we know it just ended,” he said after a brief pause.  “I don’t really know what to feel.”

              Turk nodded, helping JD with the cans.  “Yeah, I hear that,” he said, subdued.  “The world’s gonna go to shit, but at least we’re all together, right?”

              JD managed a small smile at that.  “Together and safe,” he confirmed.  “That’s the most important thing.”

              They were quiet for a while after that, putting the food away in silence.  Any canned food, of which they had all brought a lot, went in the pantry, and everything else went in the refrigerator which still worked for the time being.

              “We need medical supplies,” JD finally said when they were finished.  “We brought first aid kits, but we don’t have anything for serious injuries.”

              “You’re right,” Turk agreed.  “Maybe some of us can go to the hospital tomorrow while the others look for food.”

              “The hospital’s probably the most dangerous place to be right now,” JD said quietly, looking at Turk.  “Everyone will want medicine and supplies.”

              “We’ll talk about it in the morning, okay?” Turk said gently.  “We’ll figure something out.”

              JD was happy with that for the time being and they walked back out into the living room where Perry, Carla, and Elliot were all sitting, deep in conversation.  JD sat down next to Perry, who put an arm around him mid-sentence.

              “All I’m saying is, we’d be crazy to leave here when we have everything we need,” Perry said, sounding a little frustrated.

              “You want to leave?” Turk asked Carla and Elliot in surprise.

              Carla sighed.  “I think we’re too close to the city,” she said seriously.  “I’m not saying we have to leave, but I think we should have a back-up plan.  The further away from the city we are, the _safer_ we are.  We don’t know who might try to take this from us, not to mention it puts us closer to the biters.”

              “No matter where we go,” Perry said firmly, “the biters will follow.  I don’t have a problem with having a contingency plan, but we’re not leaving here unless we _have_ to.”

              “I can live with that,” Carla agreed, her fingers laced through Elliot’s.  “Tomorrow, we should focus on food.  After that, we’ll need to find transportation – we have to have a quick way of getting out of here.”

              “The roads are probably gonna be congested for days, if not weeks,” Turk pointed out.  “That might have to wait, but I think we’ll be safe until then.”

              JD got up in the middle of the conversation and started pulling the curtains closed.  “We should all go to bed,” he said when there was a lull.  “Keeping the lights on like this will just attract more attention to us.  Besides, we all need to be well-rested for tomorrow.”

              “Good idea, Newbie,” Perry agreed as they all stood, heading for the stairs.  He held out his hand for JD, who took it, holding it tightly as they walked up the stairs.

              “Our room,” JD said under his breath, a small smile dancing on his lips.  The room furthest from the stairs, with its own bathroom, was where Perry had first told JD he loved him.

              They’d been together for nearly six months.  JD had wanted to say it since the beginning, but he didn’t want to push Perry either – he knew he’d say it when he was ready.  Perry had known he’d loved JD for a long time, but saying it was another thing altogether.  They had just been lying in bed together, looking into each other’s eyes, when he’d whispered it.  JD had broken out into a brilliant smile and said it back without hesitation.

              As soon as the door to their room was shut, Perry held out his arms for JD, who walked right into them, burying his face against Perry’s neck.  Perry didn’t say anything, just held JD tightly.

              “Thanks for keeping us safe,” JD breathed before finally pulling away. 

              “I promised you,” Perry reminded JD, brushing a piece of hair out of his face, “that I would keep you safe.  That extends to everyone.”

              JD nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed.  “I can’t believe this is actually happening,” he sighed.  “I can’t wrap my head around it.”

              Perry undressed, leaving himself in his boxers.  “Me either,” he agreed, sitting down next to JD.  “But we’ll get through it.  All of us.”

              JD kicked off his own clothes and dug through his bag until he found a t-shirt and pulled it on.  “I hope so,” he said quietly, sounding far less optimistic than usual.

              Perry rubbed his back and pressed a kiss to his temple.  “Let’s lay down,” he said, watching JD worriedly.  “You’ll feel better in the morning.”

              JD did as he was told, and he did feel marginally better once they were under the covers and he was securely in Perry’s arms.  “I love you,” he whispered, the same way Perry had all those years ago.

              Perry pulled JD a little closer, running his hands over his back.  “I love you too, Newbie.  More than anything.”

              “What do you think will happen?” JD asked, his eyes closed as he settled into Perry’s arms.

              “To us? Or to the world?”

              “The world.”

              Perry thought about this for a long moment before sighing.  “I have no idea, kid,” he finally said.  “No idea.”

 


	2. Welcome to Your Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're all enjoying this so far! Please remember to leave comments and kudos! Your feedback is invaluable!

              Perry woke the next morning just before dawn when the cabin was still silent, though it seemed to him that the whole world was holding its breath, awaiting what would come next.  He shook off the feeling and kissed JD’s forehead before heading toward the bathroom, figuring a nice, cool shower would make him feel better.

              Once he was under the water, he ran his hands down his face and took a few deep breaths.  Surprisingly, he didn’t feel too overwhelmed, though he supposed this was because it hadn’t really sunken in yet.  Besides, he couldn’t break down about it.  He had to be strong for JD and protect him.  He could lose everything else in the world – his car, his money, his apartment – but he couldn’t lose JD.  He glanced down at the ring on his left hand and took one more deep breath before grabbing the shampoo he’d placed in the shower the night before.

              When he heard the bathroom door open, he smiled to himself.  “Morning, Newbie,” he said softly.  Moments later, the curtain pulled back and JD stepped inside and kissed Perry softly.

              “Morning,” he echoed, smiling up at Perry.

              Perry moved his arms around JD’s waist, running his hands down JD’s sides.  “You’re wide awake this morning,” he commented, a little amused.

              JD leaned in to kiss Perry again, his hands on Perry’s chest.  “Couldn’t sleep without you,” he breathed.

              “Don’t think I don’t know exactly what you’re doing,” Perry whispered in JD’s ear, letting one of his hands roam to JD’s ass.

              “What do you mean?” JD asked, moving his lips to Perry’s neck, despite being a little breathless. “’M not doing anything.”

              “No?” Perry asked, moving both hands to JD’s ass and pulling him as close as possible. He smirked at the soft noise JD made in response and began grinding against him.

              “Perry,” JD whimpered, letting his forehead fall onto Perry’s shoulder.

              “Yes?” Perry purred, knowing full well JD wanted more than this. Still, he kept rolling his hips, his fingers digging into JD’s skin.

              “More,” JD begged, breathless and clinging to Perry as he rocked his hips in rhythm with Perry’s.  “I need more.”

              Perry slid his hand between them and wrapped it around JD’s hard cock and stroked him quickly.  He kissed JD deeply, muffling the moan he let out.  “Fucking gorgeous,” he whispered, his lips still moving against JD’s.

              “You too,” JD managed, moving a hand to Perry’s cock, which was throbbing by now.  JD knew how much his moans turned Perry on.  As if on cue, he moaned again when Perry sped up.  “You in – a hurry?”

              “Got lots to do today,” Perry breathed, his eyes closing.  “Come on, baby, faster.”

              JD obeyed, stroking Perry even faster as his hips started rocking up into Perry’s hand.  “Make me come,” he whimpered, one arm still around Perry’s neck.  “Please.”

              “Always do, sweetheart,” Perry said, sliding a single finger into JD with his free hand.  He was rewarded with JD crying out and coming suddenly, coating Perry’s hand and their stomachs.  Perry followed suit not long after with a low groan.

              As they came down, Perry caught JD’s lips once more, kissing him hard.  “I love you,” JD whispered, his eyes still closed.

              “Love you too,” Perry echoed.  “Come on, let’s get you washed up.”

 

              When Perry and JD made their way downstairs for breakfast (after doing more kissing than washing), Turk was at the kitchen table, drinking from a cup of coffee. 

              “Walls aren’t as thick as you think,” he commented in lieu of a greeting.  “Should’ve picked a room that _wasn’t_ between you guys and Carla and Elliot.”

              JD blushed, but Perry just laughed.  “We’ll find you some earplugs, Gandhi,” he chuckled, helping himself to the coffee.

              “Sorry,” JD mumbled on his way to the fridge.  “Do eggs count as a peace offering?”

              “Hell yeah, eggs count,” Turk said, grinning.  “You know how I feel about breakfast food.”

              Moments later, Carla and Elliot walked in and sat down across from Turk.  “So, what’s the plan for today?” Carla asked.

              “Haven’t really gotten that far, Carla,” Perry said over his shoulder as he helped JD get breakfast ready.

              “Well, let’s get to it, then,” she said firmly.  “We need more food, and we should store some water just in case, though I assume the cabin has well water.”

              “You assume correctly,” Perry confirmed.

              “We never know if we’ll have to leave,” Carla said.  “It can’t hurt to be prepared.  We should also go back to the hospital and get medical supplies.”

              “That’s what JD and I said last night,” Turk agreed.  “A couple first aid kits won’t cut it.”

              “I could help with that,” Elliot said, speaking up for the first time.  “A couple of us can go to the hospital and the others can get food.”

              “We’ll need a couple vehicles to transport all this,” Perry pointed out.  “We can’t just take what we can carry – we’re gonna need a lot more than that.”

              “Maybe we can get our own cars,” Turk suggested.  “Things might have quieted down a little by now.”

              Perry shook his head.  “I doubt it.  Everything just started yesterday.  It’ll probably be a zoo.  Besides, our vehicles aren’t practical.  We need trucks, SUVs, not sports cars.”

              Elliot sighed.  “So we’re criminals now?”

              “Baby,” Carla said slowly, “there aren’t rules anymore.  We have to do what we can to _survive._ ”

              “I know,” Elliot said after a moment.  “It’s just… I never thought any of this would be _real._ ”

              “None of us did,” Carla said.  “It’s crazy, but it’s happening.”

 

              Over breakfast, the groups had been decided.  JD and Elliot would handle the medical supplies while Turk, Carla, and Perry would handle food and transportation.  None of them were exactly thrilled about splitting up, especially the two couples, but the well-being of the whole group was more important than individual feelings.  They all had their backpacks with emergency supplies and set off as soon as they were all dressed and ready.

              They walked in relative silence, each of them with at least one weapon.  JD had one of Perry’s knives; Elliot a small handgun which she had learned to use while growing up in a Republican family in Connecticut; Carla had a knife and pepper spray, though they weren’t sure whether the latter would be effective against the biters; Turk had a knife in his pocket and a rifle slung over his shoulder that he’d found in the cabin; and Perry had his knife and pistol.  None of them were eager to use their weapons, but knew they very well might need to.

              When they reached the outer limits of the city, they could see smoke rising, but things were still quiet.  “This is where we go our separate ways,” Carla said softly and took Elliot’s hand.  “You have your phone?”

              Elliot nodded and wrapped Carla in a tight hug.  “Of course,” she assured her.  “JD and I will be fine.  You stay safe, too.”

              “We’ll meet you back here,” Carla said when they pulled apart.  “Keep an eye out for radios or walkie-talkies.  We don’t know how long cell service will last.  If all else fails, we meet back at the cabin.”

              JD watched the two of them, noticing that they didn’t say they loved each other.  He had a feeling it would sound like too much of a goodbye.  He hugged Turk tightly, knowing neither of them needed to say anything, before he turned to Perry.  “I love you,” he said softly, closing his eyes as Perry wrapped his arms around him.

              “Love you too, kid,” Perry replied.  “Be careful.  Keep your guard up.  And no one can know about the cabin.”

              “I know,” JD assured Perry.  “I’ll see you later, okay?  Don’t go being a hero.”

              Perry cracked a smile and kissed JD softly before he, Turk, and Carla headed off toward the nearest grocery store.  JD and Elliot watched them go for a few minutes before they started in the opposite direction.  “Maybe we’ll find a car on the way,” JD wondered aloud after a long silence.

              “That’d be nice,” Elliot agreed. “But that’s not our priority.  Turk can handle that.”

              “Still, we have to find some way to bring back supplies and I doubt we’ll be able to fit everything in our bags.”

              “Good point,” Elliot allowed.  “Keep your eyes peeled. Though I don’t know how many people will have left their keys in the ignition.”

              “Don’t suppose you know how to hotwire a car,” JD laughed, though it somehow felt out of place as they got closer to the hospital. 

              “No,” Elliot confirmed.  “I think we should stop talking now, though.”

              JD nodded in agreement and swallowed.  The city was far too quiet, the streets deserted apart from a few cars that were still parked along the curb.  They passed a few people, mostly homeless.  JD wondered if they’d make it through this.  He and Elliot checked every car they passed – only two were unlocked, but there were no keys.  They found a few flashlights in the glove compartments, and they took them as back-ups for the ones they already had.  One even had a nearly-full bottle of antibiotics in between the front seats, and Elliot hastily shoved it in her bag.

              “I just hope we don’t need these,” she remarked.

              JD agreed and they were quickly on their way.  When they were within just a few blocks of the hospital, that’s when things started to get more uncomfortable.  Suddenly, there were more people, and they all seemed to be panicking. 

              “Elliot,” JD said out of the corner of his mouth, staring straight ahead.  “We have to help these people.”

              Elliot looked around them nervously.  “As long as there aren’t any biters around,” she finally said.  “If they come, we’re leaving.  We can’t lose sight of what we’re supposed to be doing.”

              “That’s fine with me,” JD said quickly.  He took her hand and led her over to a couple sitting on the sidewalk.  A woman was cradling a man’s head and he looked like he was in and out of consciousness.

              “We’re doctors,” JD told the woman, kneeling down next to her.  “What happened to him?”

              “He’s been like this all night,” the woman said shakily.  “I don’t know what happened – I found him like this when I left work.  I tried getting him to the hospital, but he collapsed.”

              “What’s his name?” Elliot asked, pulling out two pairs of rubber gloves and handing one pair to JD.

              “Craig,” the woman said, sniffling.  “He’s my husband.  I’m Katherine.”

              “Okay, Katherine,” Elliot said calmly, looking Craig over.  “I’m Elliot and this is JD. We’re going to help you.”

              “Thank you,” Katherine said, looking down at her husband’s face.  “He’s barely been conscious the whole night.”

              Once Elliot had her gloves on, she lifted Craig’s eyelid and suddenly jerked back.  “JD,” she whispered.  “JD, look at his eyes.”

              JD did as Elliot told him, and had a similar reaction.  Craig’s eyes were glazed over, almost completely white.  He could just barely make out where the pupil and iris should be, but they seemed to be clouded over.

              “I’ve never seen this,” JD said quietly.  “Craig, can you hear me?  My name is JD, I’m a doctor.  I’m here to help you.”

              Craig had no response apart from taking a rattling breath.  “JD, this isn’t right,” Elliot said slowly.  Moments later, Craig groaned, sounding inhuman.  Elliot grabbed JD’s arm.  “We have to go.”

              JD started to protest, but before he could speak, Craig jerked forward and sank his teeth into his wife’s neck, tearing through her flesh.  She screamed, her eyes going wide and she looked at JD and Elliot imploringly.  “He’s one of them,” JD said in shock.  He couldn’t move, only able to watch as blood poured out of the wound in Katherine’s neck.  Her screams were eventually silenced, turning into gurgling as Craig continued to sink his teeth into her.

              Elliot pulled JD backward, but screamed when she bumped into someone.  She heard snapping teeth and the same inhuman groans that Craig had made. “JD!” she cried out, spinning around toward the noise.  JD watched in horror for a moment, before it occurred to him to grab his knife.  He recalled seeing on the news a week or so ago that the only effective way to kill the biters was through the brain.  He knew he couldn’t hesitate, so he drove the knife through the creature’s temple with as much force as he could, while knocking Elliot out of the way at the same time.  Only when the biter crumpled to the ground did he realize he knew the person it had once been.

              Elliot pulled herself up, shaking and breathing hard.  “Thanks,” she said weakly, brushing her hair back.  “Remind me to get a hair tie.”

              “Elliot,” JD said quietly, wiping his knife off on his pants and gesturing to the biter.

              Elliot gasped, looking horrified.  “Todd,” she whispered.  She grabbed JD’s arm and started pulling him away, toward the hospital.  “We have to keep going.”

              JD nodded, feeling numb.  “I wonder how many more we’ll see,” he said softly.  “People we knew.”

              “They’re not people anymore,” Elliot reminded JD, though her hands were still shaking.

              “Right,” JD said, quickly correcting himself.  “If they were, Todd would’ve come at you making a pun about your boobs.”

              Elliot actually smiled, grateful for the comedic relief.  “Come on,” she said fondly.  “Let’s just get this done.”


	3. The Place You Need to Reach

              Perry, Turk, and Carla reached the grocery store without incident, though all of them had their minds on JD and Elliot, hoping they were okay.

              “Why’s it so quiet?” Turk asked as they reached the parking lot.  “Shouldn’t everyone be looting?”

              “Maybe the place is empty,” Perry mutters, his hand resting on the gun in his holster.  “Keep your guard up, though.”

              “I’ll check the vehicles,” Turk sighed.  “You guys’ll be okay inside?”

              “We’ll be fine,” Carla assured him as she and Perry hurried toward the store.

              Turk checked every vehicle in the parking lot, and managed to find several unlocked.  The only one that had the keys in it was, miraculously, a large truck.  Turk turned it on momentarily and found the gas tank nearly full.  He grinned and turned it off and pocketed the keys, locking it as he hurried to join Perry and Carla in the store.

              Perry and Carla had the good sense to stay quiet, not knowing who or what might be in the store.  They walked carefully, avoiding broken glass and anything that might make noise.  Turk crept up behind them, figuring they knew he was there.  He put a hand on Carla’s shoulder and she gasped, spinning around, knife in hand.

              “Jesus!” Turk hissed. “It’s me!”

              Carla put a hand over her chest and rolled her eyes, sighing in relief.  “Are you stupid?” she asked incredulously, her voice a harsh whisper.  “Don’t sneak up on me!”

              “Would you two shut it?” Perry asked, looking over his shoulder.  “Grab a basket and look for food.”

              Carla and Turk quickly quieted and started looking through the aisles, grabbing any nonperishables they could carry.  This consisted of a lot of canned foods, but Turk couldn’t pass up the bags of chips and one oversized plastic barrel of cheese balls.  Perry rolled his eyes when he saw.  “Did you find a vehicle?”

              “Black Ford truck,” Turk told him, holding up the keys.  “We got lucky.”

              “Good job,” Perry said in approval.  “We’ll load up the back and head to another store.  Hopefully by then JD and Barbie will be ready.”

              “Let’s hope so,” Turk agreed, glancing over his shoulder at Carla just as she dropped a glass jar.

              “Shit,” she whispered.  Just then, they heard rustling from the back of the store.

              “Let’s go,” Perry said quickly.  “Take everything you’ve got.  I don’t want to stick around to find out what that was.”

              They made it out of the store without turning back, their bags and arms full of food.  They put everything in the bed of the truck and Perry unrolled the plastic cover and secured it.  “People see us driving around with all this food and it’ll be stolen faster than we can fight them off.”

              Turk jumped into the driver’s seat, Perry in the passenger seat, and Carla in the back.  “Look,” she said, pointing back toward the store as a large group of biters flooded out of the entrance.

              “It’s a good thing you broke that jar,” Turk commented, peeling out of the parking lot as quickly as the truck would let him.  “Where to next?”

              Perry gave Turk directions to the closest grocery store he could remember, and this one was much more crowded.  “One of us should stay with the truck,” Carla said, glancing around at the groups of people who seemed to be doing the same thing they were.  “Just in case we need to get away quick.”

              “I’ll stay,” Perry volunteered.  “Gandhi, you know how to use that gun?”

              “I’ve got it covered,” Turk assured Perry, hopping out of the truck with Carla.  Perry slid over to the driver’s seat and kept the engine running.

              After a surprisingly short amount of time, Perry heard a gunshot and people began running out of the store.  “Shit,” Perry said under his breath, putting the truck in drive and hoping Turk and Carla were among the people running into the parking lot.

              “Drive!” Carla shouted and she and Turk came out of nowhere, diving into the truck.

              Perry screeched the tires as he left the parking lot.  “What the hell happened in there?” he asked, looking at Carla in the rearview mirror.

              “Two assholes were having a pissing contest over the last bag of potatoes,” Carla sighed, running a hand through her hair.  “One pulled out his gun and shot the other.  Over _potatoes_.”

              “Either of you hurt?”

              “We’re fine,” Turk assured Perry, catching his breath. 

              “Maybe we should go get Elliot and JD,” Carla said after a moment. “I think I’ve had enough for one day.”

              “Fair enough,” Perry agreed, turning in the direction of the hospital. “Maybe they’ll have better luck than we did.”

 

              The area around the hospital was crowded, filled with sick, scared people, and the occasional biter.  JD and Elliot kept close to each other, but managed to get inside unscathed. 

              “It’s quieter than I thought it’d be,” Elliot remarked, glancing around corners as they walked into the pharmacy.  “Guess nobody really made it inside.”

              JD started walking through the aisles, throwing medication into his bag left and right.  “I doubt there’s much modern medicine can do once people turn.”

              Elliot nodded, filling her back with all manner of antibiotics and pain medication.  “Are we being careful about what we take?” she asked JD.  “Or are we just taking everything we can carry?”

              “I’d rather be safe than sorry,” JD told her.  “I’m taking at least a few of everything.”

              They filled their bags with medication, glad they’d had the foresight to each bring an extra bag.  “We should head up to the ICU,” JD said when they were finished.  “We could use some of the stuff we store up there.”

              Elliot let JD lead the way up the stairs.  “JD, are you sure this is a good idea?” she asked nervously.  “The elevators probably don’t work. We only have one way out from up there.”

              “We’ll be okay,” JD said confidently.  It was true, he felt more confident here, where he’d spent the vast majority of his time over the past several years.  “We’ll be safe.”  As he said this, his phone began to buzz in his pocket and his heart jumped in his chest.  “Hello?” he answered, not bothering to look at the caller ID.

              “We’re on our way to get you,” Perry’s voice said on the other line.  “You still at the hospital?”

              “Yeah, but you’re not gonna be able to get closer than a few blocks out,” JD warned him.  “We’ll meet you by that one bar on the corner, okay?”

              “I know the one,” Perry replied.  “Be careful.”

              JD hung up, but kept climbing the stairs.  “They’re on their way,” he told Elliot.  “We’ll be quick up here.”

              “JD, I have a bad feeling about this,” Elliot insisted.  “Please, can’t we go?  We have more than enough medicine.”

              “We don’t have any saline,” JD said seriously.  “We need fluids in case one of us gets sick or hurt.  We could even get a monitor if we wanted to.”

              Elliot sighed as they reached the second floor.  She gasped when she looked behind her, out of habit.  “JD,” she said anxiously.

              “What, Elliot?” JD asked, a little annoyed, as he opened the door to the ICU.

              “JD!” Elliot said, grabbing his arm and yanking him around.  Behind them, slowly but surely climbing the stairs was a large group of biters.

              JD grabbed Elliot’s hand and started sprinting up the stairs.  He knew the only place they could go was the roof, but they’d fight that battle once they got there.  “Find something to bar the door,” he said to Elliot, who was gasping for breath. 

              Elliot spotted a rolling IV cart and grabbed it.  Together, they hauled it up the last flight of stairs and wedged it against the door.  “That won’t hold them long,” she said breathlessly, wiping sweat from her forehead.

              JD already had his phone to his ear, begging Perry to answer.  Soon enough, he did.  “Perry,” he gasped out without waiting for a greeting.  “We’re on the roof.  There’s so many of them – they were blocking our way out.”

              “Take a deep breath,” Perry said calmly.  “You’re both safe for the moment.”

              “How are we supposed to get down?” JD asked worriedly.  “There’s too many of them to fight off.”

              “Is there a ladder on the side of the building?” Perry asked, trying to keep his voice even, though he’s terrified for JD.

              “Elliot, help me look for a ladder,” JD called, heading over to the edge to look for any possible ways down.

              “Over here!” Elliot shouted back, waving JD over.

              “She found a way down,” JD told Perry in relief.  “I’ll see you soon, but I need both hands to climb.”

              “I’ll get us as close as I can.  We’re in a black truck,” Perry said hurriedly.  “Please be safe.”

              “I will,” JD assured Perry before ending the call and pocketing his phone.  “You ready?”

              “Ready,” Elliot said nervously.  “As ready as I’ll ever be anyway.”

              JD made sure the backpack was securely on his back before starting the long climb down, Elliot just above him.  He moved as quickly as he could, but he wasn’t the most coordinated person in the world.  He had sweat pouring from his forehead and it didn’t help his grip either. 

              “You doing okay?” he called up to Elliot.

              “I’m fine.  Just keep going.” 

              JD glanced below him, glad to see the area around the ladder was blessedly empty.  A few minutes later, he dropped to the ground and helped Elliot along. 

              “I’m sorry,” he said as soon as they were on their way to the bar where they’d agreed to meet.  “I should have listened to you.”

              “Yeah, you should have,” Elliot said with a small smile. “It’s okay, though.  Now you know that I’m always right.”

              JD and Elliot hastily walked arm-in-arm until they turned onto a side street.  “That’s them,” JD said gratefully.  “In the black truck.”

              Sure enough, Perry pulled up next to them and unlocked the truck and JD and Elliot jumped in the back with Carla.

              “So, did you guys have as much fun as we did?” JD asked with a weak grin, the air conditioning in the truck feeling heaven-sent.

              “Dude, shut up,” Turk laughed as Perry turned the truck around and sped off toward the cabin.


	4. Raised for the Slaughter

              “I’m not sure splitting up is such a good idea anymore,” Elliot said as they hauled everything into the cabin.  “I know we got more accomplished, but there’s safety in numbers, right?”

              “I think you’re right,” Turk agreed.  “At least we can try and keep each other safe instead of holding our breaths and hoping everyone’s okay.”

              “Well, we should be set for a long time with all the meds you two found,” Perry said, dumping the contents of JD’s and Elliot’s bags onto the kitchen table.  “Great job.”

              Elliot lit up at receiving praise from Perry and JD watched her in amusement.  Perry had never been her biggest fan, but he’d only been outwardly hostile to her when they’d first started at Sacred Heart five years ago.  JD kissed Perry’s cheek as they all looked over the medication they’d found.

              “Elliot was really smart about the whole thing,” JD pointed out.  “If I’d have listened to her, we wouldn’t have gotten stuck on the roof.”

              “We got out safe and sound,” Elliot said quickly, blushing.  “No harm, no foul, right?”

              “Right,” Carla assured Elliot. “I’m so proud of you, baby.”

              Elliot smiled and leaned into Carla, putting an arm around her waist.  Abruptly, her smile faded.  “I didn’t tell you what we saw.”

              “What you saw?” Carla asked, glancing between Elliot and JD. 

              JD sighed.  “Before we even got to the hospital,” he explained.  “There was this couple sitting on the sidewalk.  The guy looked like he was in really bad shape so we stopped to help them.  The woman, Katherine, said he’d been like this all night.  Elliot showed me his eyes and they were, like… cloudy.  White.  It was just like they’d said on the news.  We moved away just in time.  He… _ate_ her.”

              “Ate her?” Turk asked in shock.  “What do you mean?”

              “Well, you know how they said the biters eat human flesh?” JD said, clearly bothered by the images in his head.  “He literally just sat up and groaned and he bit her neck.  His teeth went right through like her skin was butter.  She screamed and… god, it was horrible.”  JD shook himself, trying to get rid of the memory.

              Perry rubbed JD’s back, trying to comfort him.  “I’m sorry you had to see that,” he said quietly, watching JD’s face.

              “That’s the world we live in now, isn’t it?” JD said, his voice empty.  “Innocent people die and turn into monsters.”

              “Hey, come on, dude,” Turk said, sitting down across from JD.  “There’s still good in the world.  There’s still good people.”

              “Those are the people that are gonna die first,” JD said flatly, suddenly standing and walking upstairs.  They all heard the bedroom door slam shut and Perry ran a hand through his hair.

              “Shit,” he sighed.  “I should go talk to him.”

              The others nodded and Perry made his way upstairs, though he had no idea what to say to JD.  He wasn’t wrong about the state of the world, and Perry certainly wasn’t as optimistic as Turk seemed.  Still, he might have to pretend to be if it helped JD.  He pushed the door open slowly and saw JD laying on their bed, staring at the ceiling.

              “Mind if I join you?” Perry asked gently, walking over to the bed and sitting down next to JD.

              “If you want to,” JD mumbled, closing his eyes as Perry ran a hand through JD’s hair.

              He sat back against the headboard and pulled JD up into his arms.  “Talk to me,” he said quietly, continuing to stroke JD’s hair.  “I know this is hard.  It’s hard for all of us.”

              “It’s really starting to sink in,” JD murmured, keeping his eyes closed as he settled into Perry’s chest.  “Everything happened so fast…”

              “We haven’t really had time to process it much, have we?” Perry replied.

              “No, and this morning, in the shower, everything felt normal.  But when I saw that biter…”

              “It was a reality check,” Perry finished for him.

              “Then Elliot walked into one as we were running away,” JD whispered.  “It was Todd.”

              Perry paused in his movements for just a moment, but it was enough to let JD know he was shocked.  “That must’ve been awful,” he finally said.

              “I made a joke about it,” JD said softly.  “Because the alternative…”  JD suddenly sniffed and buried his face in Perry’s shirt.

              “Hey,” Perry said, pulling JD’s chin up.  “You’re safe now.”  He brushed JD’s tears away with his thumb, watching him sadly. 

              “I know,” JD said thickly.  “I know that.  But everything’s just catching up with me.  And, like, this is how it’s gonna be from now on.  The world won’t change overnight _again._ How do we come back from this?”

              Perry had to look away from JD because he didn’t know the answer.  It was a strange feeling, not being able to comfort JD properly.  Usually, he always had the answers and was able to put JD’s fears to rest.  But this was different.  _No one_ knew how things would turn out after this.

              “Things have to get better at some point, right?” Perry asked.  “This can’t last forever.”

              “Says who?” JD countered, fresh tears falling from his eyes.  “This could literally wipe us out.”

              “Come on, JD,” Perry said seriously.  “I know it feels hopeless right now, but we’re not gonna let this take us out.  I didn’t let you come into my life just to lose you so soon.”

              “That’s the worst part,” JD said, choking back a sob.  “What if something happens to you?  Perry, I can’t… I couldn’t deal with that.”

              Perry pulled JD closer, holding him tightly.  “Nothing’s gonna happen to me, sweetheart,” Perry whispered, rocking JD back and forth.  “I promised you I’d always be here for you.  This doesn’t change that.”

              JD curled into Perry, taking deep, shaking breaths.  “I love you,” he whispered after a long silence.  “More than anything.”

              Perry figured the best way to make JD feel better was to distract him.  “I love you too, Newbie,” he replied.  “You remember what I said to you right before our wedding?”

              JD wiped at his eyes and looked up at Perry.  “I would never forget that,” he sniffed.  “You said that you wouldn’t have cared if there were two people there or if there were two hundred.  Because the only thing you cared about was me.”

              “And I _also_ told you,” Perry continued with a small smile, “that you would always be the most important thing in my life.  Not the hospital, _you_.  And that will never change for as long as we’re both alive.  Which is going to be a long, long, _long_ time.”

              “A long time,” JD echoed, wrapping his arms around Perry’s waist.  “Forever.  That’s what you said.”

              “And I meant it,” Perry confirmed.  “Forever’s a long time, kid.  Think you can handle it?”

              JD managed the smallest of smiles as he looked up at Perry.  “Yeah, I think so,” he said softly before resting his head on Perry’s shoulder.  “Forever.”

              Perry held JD in his arms, knowing how important it was to JD to feel safe.  JD soon fell asleep, and Perry looked down at him, noting how much more peaceful he looked in sleep.  Perry could tell he was exhausted despite having gotten a fair amount of rest the night before. He watched JD for a little longer before carefully laying down, keeping JD on his chest.  He fell asleep soon after, still holding JD close.

 

              Perry woke up hours later when Carla knocked on their door and pushed it open.  JD was still asleep, his breathing even.

              “I brought you both supper,” Carla whispered, carrying in a tray with two bowls of soup.  “Figured you needed the rest.”

              “Thanks, Carla,” Perry said quietly.  “How’re the others?”

              “Turk seems fine, but I think it might help if someone talked to him soon,” Carla mused.  “I don’t want him getting too lonely, you know?”

              Perry nodded.  “I’ll see how JD’s feeling when he wakes up.  Barb – Elliot doing okay?”

              Carla smiled softly.  “Yeah, she’s okay,” she chuckled.  “Thanks for asking.  You two just take the rest of the night to yourselves.  We’re all set for a while.  We don’t have to do anything tomorrow.”

              “Sure, Carla,” Perry agreed, patting her hand.  “Thanks for supper.”

              “Don’t mention it,” Carla said dismissively as she headed toward the door.  “Goodnight, Perry.”

              JD mumbled something unintelligible in his sleep after Carla left, but just cuddled closer to Perry.  Perry ran a hand through JD’s hair, watching him fondly.  He knew that as long as they had each other, they’d get through this.  He was determined to make sure they _always_ had each other, even if it meant not taking as many risks as they had today. 


	5. Show Me Where You Took My Love

              JD was running.  Despite all his claims that he did cardio, he wasn’t really the most athletic person in the world.  But this was different.  Running for your life and running for fun are two totally different states of mind. Besides, who the hell runs for _fun_?

              He couldn’t breathe.  Every breath was a burning gasp, like sandpaper on his lungs.  Sweat poured down his forehead, stinging his eyes, which he struggled to keep open.  It was so dark he wondered if it would make much difference.  He could hear them, the others.  They were near each other, but if someone cut off in another direction, he doubted they’d be easy to find.  What mattered was that Perry was right by his side –

              Where was Perry?  He’d shouted at JD, told him to run as fast as he could, but he promised he’d be right by his side.  JD glanced over his shoulder just in time to see Perry overtaken by the herd that was chasing after them.  He heard Perry cry out with his last breath for JD to run and never look back.

             

              “JD!” Perry said, shaking him awake.  “JD, wake up.  You’re dreaming.”

              JD gasped for breath as he woke suddenly, tears still rolling down his cheeks.  He was disoriented for a few moments first, not understanding how Perry could be looking down at him.  “You’re alive?” he asked, his voice breaking.

              “Jesus, kid, what kind of dream were you having?” Perry asked in concern.  “What are you crying for?”

              JD sniffed, though he couldn’t seem to stop his tears.  In the back of his mind, he registered he’d been doing an awful lot of crying lately.  “You… they were chasing us,” he explained in a shaking voice.  “You told me to run and then they – they _got_ you.”

              Perry sighed and pulled JD close, kissing the top of his head.  “You feel my arms around you?” he asked quietly.  “Hear my heart?  I promise you, Newbie, I’m very much alive and I intend to stay that way.”

              JD nodded, closing his eyes and listening to the sound of Perry’s heart.  “I need you to make me a promise,” he murmured.

              “You know I’d promise you anything.”

              “Promise me you won’t give up just to save me,” JD whispered.  “I don’t care what the situation is, just don’t ever stop fighting even if you think it’ll help me get away or something.  Because that’s not saving me.  I can’t live without you, Perry.”

              Perry hesitated for a long moment, figuring now wasn’t the right time to remind JD that he _could_ live without Perry.  Sure, it would be hard for him, but he’d eventually move on and things would get better.  Maybe there would never be anyone else, but he’d have his friends.  “I promise,” Perry said softly, holding JD just a little tighter.  “I won’t let anything happen to us.”

              JD relaxed a little in Perry’s arms, grateful his tears had stopped flowing.  “Sorry I’m crying so much lately,” he mumbled, wiping his eyes.

              Perry snorted.  “Newbie, I’d be worried if you _weren’t_ crying,” he chuckled.  “This is some messed up shit.”

              “It’s just… how are we supposed to be okay with this?” JD asked, looking up at Perry for an answer.  “I mean, we’re lucky enough to have shelter and supplies.  Most people probably don’t.  They’ll start fighting each other, won’t they?  Things are going to get bad.”

              Perry rubbed JD’s back, not sure he really had an answer.  “All we can do is protect ourselves, protect what we have here.  I’m not saying it’ll last forever; I think Carla had a point about getting further away from the city.  But we’ll take things one at a time because that’s all we _can_ do.  We’ll keep to ourselves and steer clear of any trouble and we’ll be okay.”

              JD couldn’t quite smile, but Perry’s words put him more at ease.  “Would it be too much to ask to spend the day in bed with you?” he asked hopefully.

              Perry smiled down at JD and kissed him softly.  “Yeah, I think that could be arranged.”

              JD rested his head on Perry’s shoulder and looked around the small, cozy room.  “I love this place,” he said.  “I hope we don’t have to leave for a little while yet.”

              “You thinking about that night?” Perry asked, watching JD instead of looking at the room.

              “Course,” JD said, this time with just the faintest smile.  “That was one of the best nights of my life, you telling me you loved me.”

              “The sex wasn’t half bad either,” Perry joked. 

              JD rolled his eyes.  “Perry, the sex is _always_ good.”

              “There’s that smile,” Perry said, brushing his thumb over JD’s full lower lip.  “I like that much better than the tears.”

              JD blushed, looking up at Perry with his innocent blue eyes.  “Kiss me,” he requested in a soft voice, moving a hand to the back of Perry’s neck to pull him closer.

              Perry silently obeyed, leaning in to kiss JD with an uncharacteristic slowness.  He wanted to take his time here, savor it.

              “Again,” JD whispered when Perry pulled away a few inches.

              Perry was more than happy to obey, kissing JD deeply, though he still moved slowly, almost lazily.  “It’s been a while,” he murmured.

              “I know,” JD replied, his lips brushing against Perry’s.  “We’ve been busy.”

              “The shower didn’t count,” Perry continued, one of his hands resting on JD’s hip, his thumb rubbing small circles there.

              “Mmm,” JD hummed, his lips slightly parted as Perry started kissing along his jawline.  “We should probably catch up.”

              “Excellent idea,” Perry agreed, slowly pulling off JD’s shirt and tossing it onto the floor.

              “Good thing we agreed condoms and lube were necessities,” JD joked weakly, blushing again at the way Perry looked at him.  “What?”

              “I tell you every time, but you’re still the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen,” Perry murmured, running a hand down JD’s chest.

              JD sighed softly, closing his eyes for a moment.  “Get us undressed and you tell me all about how gorgeous I am.”

              Perry did as he was told, pulling off JD’s pants and his underwear.  He paused briefly to kiss JD again and was rewarded with JD rubbing him through his pants.  “All right, all right,” Perry said, pulling away and swiftly taking off his clothes.  “I got the message.”

              JD reached into the drawer of his bedside table and emerged with a condom and a small bottle of lube.  “I’m always prepared,” he said with a small smile.

              “One of the many things I love about you,” Perry said, mirroring JD’s smirk.  He didn’t waste time in rolling the condom on and spreading lube over himself.  “You ready, sweetheart?”

              “Ready,” JD confirmed, pulling Perry in for a deep kiss as he wrapped his legs around Perry’s waist.  He let out a soft, breathless moan as Perry pushed into him, his eyes fluttering shut.  “Definitely been too long,” he whimpered.

              Perry threaded his fingers into JD’s hair, resting on his forearms.  “You’re telling me,” he agreed, setting a slow pace.  “Still feels incredible.”

              “It always does,” JD reminded Perry as he rolled his hips up in rhythm with Perry’s thrusts.  He let out soft noises every time Perry pushed back into him, his head falling back onto the pillow.  “So good.”

              Perry made quiet noises of his own as he latched onto JD’s neck.  He kissed and sucked at his skin, speeding up the movement of his hips just slightly.  He knew it was important for JD to feel close to him, to feel safe, and as far as he was concerned, this was the best way to make sure he felt that way.  Truthfully, it _had_ been too long, even for Perry, who didn’t need release as often as JD seemed to.  They’d been so busy with work and life in general that by the time they made it into bed together at night, they fell asleep almost immediately.  Perry wanted to make this special, wanted to make _every_ time special if he could. 

              He reached between them, putting all his weight on his other arm, and wrapped a hand around JD, who whimpered at the touch.  He stroked him slowly, in time with his thrusts, and pulled back to watch his face, their lips mere inches from each other.  “Beautiful,” he whispered, watching JD in awe as he panted, his eyes still closed.

              “I’m not gonna last much longer,” JD said weakly, forcing his eyes open so he could look at Perry.  “Feels too good.”

              “Let go, sweetheart,” Perry breathed, his eyes locked on JD.  “I’ll be right there with you.”

              JD lasted only a few moments longer before he started making soft, gasping noises as he reached his release.  His back arched up slightly as he rode it out, and Perry didn’t take much longer, as promised, before he gave one more hard thrust and groaned, burying his face in JD’s neck.

              JD relaxed completely into the bed, his legs falling from around Perry’s waist.  “I really needed that,” he said softly, his eyes still closed.

              Perry moved off JD and took care of the condom, tossing it in the wastebasket near the bed.  He grabbed a tissue and cleaned JD’s stomach off, his movements gentle.  “I think we both did,” he agreed, settling down onto the bed.

              JD curled into Perry’s chest and pulled the sheet over them.  “I really like morning sex,” he said, his arm draped over Perry’s waist.

              “You like any kind of sex, Newbie,” Perry pointed out, tracing light patterns on JD’s arm with a few fingers. 

              “Good point,” JD chuckled, utterly relaxed.  “I mostly just like being with you.”

              “I like that too,” Perry murmured, lifting JD’s hand to his lips and kissing it softly.  “Very much.”  JD moved a little closer to Perry, resting his head on Perry’s chest.  “We should get you something to eat soon.  You missed supper last night.”

              “We’ll get there,” JD mumbled, starting to drift off.

              He was jolted awake several moments later by a scream that was distinctly Elliot’s.  He and Perry glanced at each other before flying out of bed and pulling on their underwear.  Perry grabbed his knife from the bedside table and they hurried downstairs, unsure of what they might find.  They were joined by an exhausted Turk who looked like he’d just woken up and a panicked Carla holding a toothbrush.

              Elliot looked up when she noticed them and immediately turned bright red.  “Oh,” she said awkwardly, “there was a giant fricking spider.  It was on my arm.”

              “Jesus, Barbie,” Perry groaned as everyone let out a sigh of relief.

              “It was huge!” Elliot said defensively, shivering at the thought. 

              JD and Turk started laughing after a brief pause and were quickly joined by the rest of the group.  “We thought you were about to get your head cut off with a chainsaw or something,” Turk laughed.  “And it was a _spider_.”

              Elliot couldn’t help but laugh at herself, though her cheeks were still red.  “Yeah, yeah,” she said, waving a hand.  “Go back to bed.  False alarm.”

              Turk trudged back up the stairs after a little while, still chuckling to himself, followed by JD and Perry, who decided breakfast was a good idea, but not breakfast in their underwear.

              “If that’s the craziest thing that happens today, I think I can handle this,” JD said to Perry as they got dressed.

              “Let’s hope it is,” Perry said, putting an arm around JD’s shoulders as they headed back down the stairs for a big breakfast.


	6. I've Got Stories I Could Tell You

              “How weird is this?” Elliot asked softly, her arms around Carla as they cuddled on the couch.  “We’re watching a rom-com on a flatscreen TV while the world is ending outside.”

              “Sweetie,” Carla whispered without looking away from the screen, “be quiet.  Just watch the movie.”

              Elliot giggled and settled back into the couch, turning her attention back to the movie.  Turk was taking up the corner of the sectional couch, sprawled out and snoring quietly; he was never a fan of romantic comedies.  JD and Perry had their arms wrapped around each other on the other end of the couch.  Perry was paying more attention to running his fingers through JD’s hair than to the movie, but JD was focused totally on the screen in front of him, already invested in the relationship of the characters despite it being completely predictable.

              They made small talk throughout the movie, commenting on the plot or chuckling at some of the jokes, but mostly they were all grateful for the momentary escape from what was happening all around them.  They knew the electricity wouldn’t stay up long so they were determined to enjoy it while it lasted.  Perry and Turk had talked over dinner about possibly scouting for another shelter, further away from the city, but they all knew it would only be a matter of time before they ran out of food.  They’d need to restock soon to be on the safe side. 

              Turk and Perry were both thinking the same thing, though neither of them had the guts to say it out loud yet: getting in the car and driving.  They didn’t know where to go, but they all knew that the further from large cities they were, the better it was.  There was a better chance to find shelter in a safer, more secluded area, and small, rural towns were a better bet for finding supplies that hadn’t already been picked over.

              The idea of leaving everything they knew behind was, in a word, terrifying.  Sure, they’d already left their apartments, but they weren’t more than a half hour from the city – the place they called home.  It wouldn’t hurt to find a place with a fresh, reliable source of water, and Perry wondered if going north would be a good idea.  The winters would be cold, but they could find a house with a fire place and they could cut their own firewood.  He sighed mentally, knowing none of the others would be too happy about going far away.  Whatever happened, he knew they had to stick together if they had any chance of survival.

              Perry shook himself out of his thoughts when JD looked up at him, smiling.  He glanced at the TV and realized the end credits of the movie were rolling.  “Did you like the movie?” JD asked, oblivious that Perry hadn’t paid one bit of attention.

              “Yeah, Newbie, it was great,” Perry said convincingly enough that JD bought it.  “You ready for bed?”

              “Actually, I think I’m gonna try and talk to Turk first,” JD said, looking over at Turk, who was still sleeping.

              “All right,” Perry agreed, kissing JD quickly.  “I’m heading up.  Good luck.”

              JD smiled and moved to let Perry get up.  He watched him go, along with Carla and Elliot, who both looked half asleep, before he scooted over next to Turk.  He poked his shoulder, wanting to wake him gently.  Of course, Turk slept on, still snoring.  JD rolled his eyes and shook Turk’s shoulder a little harder this time.  Turk wasn’t a particularly heavy sleeper, unlike JD, who could’ve slept through the end of the world (part of him wished he had). 

              Turk stirred for a few moments before he woke up and he blinked at JD confusedly.  “What’d I miss?” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

              “Not much,” JD said with a shrug.  “Just the whole movie.”

              “You’ve seen one, you’ve seen ‘em all,” Turk said through a yawn.  “Everyone go to bed?”

              “Yeah, but I wanted to talk to you.”

              Turk arched an eyebrow, sitting up.  “What about?”

              “I don’t know,” JD said casually.  “I just wanted to see how you were doing.  We haven’t had much time to talk since everything happened and I have Perry and Carla and Elliot have each other…”

              “And I have no one,” Turk finished, torn between annoyance and amusement.  “Seriously, JD, I’m fine.  All this _sucks,_ don’t get me wrong, but I’m doing okay.  And you’re still my best friend.  I know I can count on you.”

              JD smiled.  “Of course you can.  All of us, even Perry.  I think he likes you more than he lets on, you know.”

              “I know,” Turk chuckled.  “He’s that way with everyone except you.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen him show affection to anyone else.”

              “That’s because I’m _lucky_ ,” JD said with a grin.  “But really, you can talk to any of us, you know that.”

              “Yeah, dude, I know,” Turk assured him.  “Don’t worry about me, all right?”

              “I’m always gonna worry about you, Turk,” JD said seriously.  “That’s what best friends do.  We look out for each other and worry about each other.  It’s in the rule book.”

              “You’re right, my bad,” Turk said in amusement.  “Thanks, man. I appreciate it, but I really want to go to bed.  Was that all?”

              “Yeah, that was it,” JD told Turk, standing and helping him up.  “You know, that movie was really good. You missed out.”

              “I’ll get over it,” Turk laughed.  “But thanks for the heads up.”

              JD rolled his eyes as they walked upstairs.  “Goodnight, Turk.”

              “Night, JD,” Turk replied, heading toward his room.

 

              The next morning, Perry woke up early, though he wasn’t sure why.  Nothing seemed to have woken him up, but he could just tell there was no getting back to sleep.  He slipped out of bed, careful not to wake JD, and made his way downstairs.  He set up the coffeemaker and sat down at the kitchen table, wishing he had the morning paper… or that the morning paper was still a thing that existed.  He had just poured himself a cup of coffee when there was a knock on the front door.

              Perry grabbed his knife and gripped it tightly as he walked out into the living room.  The sun was just rising and he snuck over to one of the windows and pulled the curtain back just enough to peer out onto the front porch.  He could just make out a figure that looked dangerously close to collapsing.  He sighed and opened the door, though he stood his ground in the doorway in case the person tried anything.

              “What do you want?” Perry asked gruffly, staring down the man before him.  He was bleeding from a nasty cut on his forehead and looked exhausted.  His shirt was torn and every part of him that was visible was dirty.

              “Please,” the man said, clearly desperate.  “You’re the first person I’ve found.  Someone set my building on fire and I had to jump from the fire escape.  I – I cut my forehead and I think I might’ve broken something.  Please help me.”

              Perry sighed, deciding the man didn’t pose an immediate threat.  He helped him inside, setting him down on the couch.  “You stay put,” he said firmly, though he doubted he’d go anywhere with that limp of his.  He walked to the bathroom off the kitchen and retrieved one of their first aid kits, along with the bag of medicine. 

              When he walked back into the living room, the man appeared not to have moved an inch.  Instead, he was staring straight ahead, at the stairs, looking nervous.  Perry followed his gaze and saw Turk with his rifle aimed directly at the man.  “Jesus, Gandhi!” Perry said tiredly.  “Put that damn thing away, would you?  He’s hurt.”

              Turk didn’t move.  “How do you know he’s not faking?” he asked without looking at Perry.  “He might try and steal our stuff.  Or hurt us.”

              Perry walked over to Turk and put his hand around the barrel of the gun.  “Put the gun _down_ ,” he said in a low voice, his jaw tight.  “We’re not those kind of people.”

              Turk held his stance for a moment longer before he lowered the gun and turned the safety off.  “Fine,” he muttered.  “I don’t trust him, though.”

              “Neither do I,” Perry assured him.  “Doesn’t mean I won’t help him.”  He walked back over to the couch and sat down next to the man.  “What’s your name?”

              “Steve,” the man replied, still glancing warily at Turk, who padded into the kitchen for coffee.

              “I’m Perry, that’s Turk,” Perry told him as he poured some rubbing alcohol on a piece of gauze.  “This might sting.”  He cleaned out the wound on Steve’s forehead, ignoring his winces.

              “You know what you’re doing,” Steve commented, watching Perry’s focus.

              “I should hope so,” Perry said, inspecting the cut.  “I’m a doctor.  You need stitches.  Luckily for you, Gandhi in there is a surgeon.”

              “Lucky me,” Steve said under his breath.  “Can you check out my leg?”

              Perry kneeled down and carefully rolled Steve’s pant leg up.  He palpated the area, examining his leg carefully.  “I don’t think it’s broken, considering you’ll walking relatively well on it.  Might’ve sprained or pulled something.  I’d recommend staying off it for a while and maybe we can find you some crutches if you need them.”

              Steve nodded.  “I fell onto a dumpster and bounced off it,” he told Perry.  “Concrete isn’t very soft.”

              Perry snorted, lowering Steve’s pant leg.  “Just be grateful you made it out.”

              Turk came out of the kitchen with a cup of coffee for himself and one for Steve.  “Sorry for pointing my gun at you,” he mumbled, handing him the cup. 

              “No harm, no foul,” Steve said dismissively, taking the cup.  “Thanks.”

              “What the hell happened to you?” Turk asked.

              “My building got set on fire, jumped off my fire escape, hit a dumpster, hit the ground,” Steve repeated, taking a sip of coffee.  “You have any creamer?”

              “Wasn’t on our list of necessities,” Perry said before turning to Turk.  “His forehead needs stitches.  “Care to do the honors?”

              Turk shrugged, setting his cup on the end table.  He grabbed a pair of gloves out of the bag Perry brought out, and found a needle and surgical thread in the first aid kit.  “I can’t numb it,” he warned Steve.  “Sorry in advance.”

              “I’ve endured worse,” Steve said with a shrug.  “Name’s Steve by the way.”

              Turk met Steve’s eyes for just a moment before turning his focus to his forehead.  “Chris Turk,” he said in a professional tone.  He set about stitching the wound on Steve’s forehead, trying to make it as quick and painless as possible while still doing a good job.

              Steve kept his eyes closed for the entire time, but he didn’t wince or complain.  When Turk finished, he leaned back into the couch and let out a long breath.  “Thank you,” he said, opening his eyes to look at Turk.

              “Don’t mention it,” Turk said modestly, sitting back on the other end of the couch.  “What brought you here?”

              “Everyone else turned me away,” Steve said honestly.  “I ran into a few groups of people just outside the city and they threatened to kill me.  There was one other house, but no one was there.  You were the next place I found.”

              “Hmm,” Perry said in acknowledgement.  He gathered up the first aid kit, but handed Steve an aspirin.  “Take this for the pain.”

              Steve nodded in appreciation, swallowing the pill with another sip of coffee.  “You guys from the city?”

              “Yeah, we worked at Sacred Heart,” Turk told Steve while Perry went to put everything away.  “Me, Perry, his husband and my best friend JD, and our friends Carla and Elliot.”

              “And you’re all here together?” Steve asked curiously.

              Turk nodded.  “This is Perry’s cabin.  We came here right after everything happened.”

              “This is crazy,” Steve commented.  “All of it.  I mean, at first I thought it was just a hoax when they first started talking about it on the news, some sort of joke.  But my neighbor got bit and let me tell you, that’s not pretty.”

              “I haven’t seen it happen,” Turk said after a brief pause.  “JD and Elliot did, though.  They saw this guy die and then just… reanimate.”

              “It’s the freakiest damn thing you’ll ever see,” Steve informed Turk.  “It’s almost fascinating until you realize how _horrible_ it is.”

              Turk took another sip of his coffee.  “Do you have anyone around here?” he asked.

              “What, like family?” Steve asked.  “My sister’s in L.A., but I have no idea if she’s safe, and my parents are at home in Chicago.”

              Turk wasn’t sure he should do this, but Perry let Steve in, after all.  “Maybe you could stay with us,” he offered.  “You know, if you wanted.”

              Steve smiled.  “Thanks,” he said genuinely, “but you should probably talk to the rest of your group about that.  I don’t want to cause problems.”

              “I will,” Turk assured Steve.  “But until they’re up, just get some rest.  You look exhausted.”

              “I am,” Steve admitted.  “It’s a lot of work, limping for miles.”

              Turk chuckled.  “Well, there’s no beds down here, but I don’t think stairs are such a good idea, so you’re more than welcome to get some sleep on the couch here.”

              “That sounds pretty good right about now,” Steve admitted. “Thanks, Turk.”

              Turk smiled.  “Don’t mention it.  Just holler if you need anything.”  He settled into the couch himself, waiting for the others to get up.  He could almost predict JD’s surprise, Elliot’s panic, and Carla’s suspicion, but he had a feeling he could convince them to let Steve stay one way or another.  Turk couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something about Steve he liked and therefore trusted.  Whatever happened, he’d make sure Steve stayed with them at least until he was healed.


	7. What You Got in Store For Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took so long to update, but I decided to focus on finishing my other fic, My Beautiful Mess, which I successfully did! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Please remember to leave comments and kudos! :)

JD was surprised to find, when he came downstairs later that morning, a complete stranger sprawled out on their couch, fast asleep.  Surprised, yes.  Alarmed, no.  He trusted Perry to keep them safe and knew he would use his best judgement to do so.  He couldn’t imagine him letting in someone he thought might be dangerous; keeping the group safe would always be paramount.

              He was also surprised to see Turk sitting in one of the armchairs near the couch, watching the stranger sleep.  It was clear that he hadn’t noticed JD walk in and there was a soft smile on his face.  JD knew that smile instantly, though he’d only seen it a handful of times.  The last time was when Turk had seen Carla for the first time; he’d immediately started hitting on her, though it was obvious she couldn’t have been less interested.  Turk had ended up walking away like a dog with its tail between its legs.  It would have been funny, JD recalled, if it hadn’t been so pathetic.

              Since then, Turk had come to the realization that he was attracted to men.  It had taken many talks with JD, several cases of beer, and a lot of tears before Turk actually admitted it out loud.  JD suspected he’d been in denial for a long time, but that had been almost a year and a half ago, and Turk was much more secure in his sexuality.  He hadn’t, from what he’d told JD, done anything more than kiss a handful of guys since then, though.  JD had his own opinions as to why, the first and foremost being that Turk was still afraid to be that close with another man.  Their friendship was different, since they’d known each other for so long, but they weren’t, nor had they ever been, romantically involved.  JD was sure that Turk would find someone someday that made him a little less afraid to open up.

              “Morning,” JD said smugly, sitting down across from Turk, who jumped a little.  “Who’s your friend?”

              “His name is Steve,” Turk muttered, a little put-out at having been startled by JD of all people.  “He’s from the city, too.  No one else would help him.”

              “What happened to him?” JD asked, his eyes moving over Steve, noticing the fresh stitches on his forehead.  “Did you do that?”

              Turk nodded.  “Perry let him in early this morning, right before I got up.  I guess someone started a fire in his building, so he had to jump off the fire escape.  Landing didn’t go very well.”

              “Wow,” JD commented.  “How’d he make it all the way out here?”

              “Dude, we’re not that far from the city,” Turk reminded him.  “Apparently he tried to get help from a couple other groups, but they weren’t as friendly as Perry – which is saying something.”

              JD smiled at that and rolled his eyes.  “Perry’s perfectly nice when he wants to be,” he informed Turk.  “Anyway, when were you going to tell me you have a crush on him?”

              Turk’s eyes widened.  “On Perry?” he asked incredulously, to which JD responded with a loud laugh.

              He managed to quiet down, even though he was still snickering, when Steve stirred on the couch between them.  “No,” he finally chuckled, “on Steve.”

              “What?” Turk asked, trying to be convincing enough that JD would drop it.  “A crush on him?  Not a chance, JD.”

              JD arched an eyebrow, staring Turk down.  “Yeah, right,” he snorted.  “I saw you watching him.  You _like_ him.”

              Turk sighed and slumped down in his chair.  “I barely know him,” he muttered.  “Just be quiet, would you?  Let him sleep.”

              JD giggled, but stood up and headed for the kitchen.  “Whatever you say, man,” he said, shaking his head.  He was pleased to see Perry when he walked into the kitchen and reached up to kiss him softly.  “Morning.”

              “Morning, kid,” Perry said, wrapping an arm around JD’s waist, stirring the pot of oatmeal in front of him.  “You’re in a good mood.”

              “Turk’s got a crush on Steve,” JD said smugly, pleased with his observations.  “What do you think of him?”

              “Can’t say I know that much about him,” Perry mused.  “I suppose we’ll ask him some questions when he wakes up.  But for now, we should let him rest.  It can’t have been easy getting out here on that leg.”

              “It was sweet of you to let him in,” JD commented, sitting down at the kitchen table as he watched Perry.

              Perry threw an exasperated look over his shoulder at JD.  “Sweet?” he snorted.

              “Very sweet,” JD maintained.  “You don’t give yourself enough credit, you know.”

              “I give myself plenty of credit,” Perry countered.  “I am Jesus H. Cox, M.D.”  He lifted his arms out to his sides, though the effect was lost when oatmeal started dripping from the spoon he was holding.

              JD giggled and bent down to wipe the spill up with a hand towel.  “Yes, Per, you’re very impressive,” he teased.  “I am in _awe_.”

              “Get up here,” Perry muttered, pulling JD to his feet and kissing him, more thoroughly than before.  “How could I ever forget how big my ego is when I have you around to remind me?”

              JD smiled, looking up at Perry with satisfaction.  “Good question,” he said, stroking his chin.  “I’ll have to think on that, though I’m sure you’d find some other way to fuel your absolutely _massive_ ego.”

              “See?” Perry laughed, stirring the oatmeal again.  “That’s exactly what I’m talking about.”

              “Would you two get a room?” Carla groaned from the doorway.  Her hair was sticking up in every direction and she had a silk robe wrapped around her body – complete with matching fuzzy slippers.

              Perry arched an eyebrow when he saw her.  “Wow, Carla, it’s good to see you packed the necessities when you left.”

              Carla narrowed her eyes at him, though she didn’t respond.  “Who’s the guy on the couch that Turk is making heart-eyes at?” she asked, filling a cup of coffee.

              JD lit up.  “He’s still doing that?” he asked excitedly.  “This is great! We have to keep him!”

              “Keep him,” Perry repeated under his breath, shaking his head.  “You make it sound like he’s a prisoner.”

              JD rolled his eyes, but his excitement didn’t die down in the least.  “Don’t be dramatic,” he said dismissively.  “Anyway, his name is Steve and Perry let him in.  He’s injured and apparently no one else would help him.  And Turk has a giant crush on him.”

              “Hmm,” Carla said in between sips of coffee, clearing thinking over the information.  “We can’t just take in whoever knocks on our door, you know.”

              Perry sighed and turned the burner off on the stove, deeming the oatmeal ready.  “He looked like he was about to pass out,” he said firmly.  “I wasn’t going to just turn him away.”

              “Do you even know anything about him?” Carla countered, crossing her arms.  “He could be a serial killer for all we know.”

              “Well, he hasn’t killed any of us yet,” Perry pointed out.  “Unless Gandhi’s currently bleeding out in the living room.”  That earned him a half-hearted smack in the arm from JD.

              “Just give him a chance, Carla,” JD implored.  “Perry said we could ask him questions and stuff when he wakes up.  We’ll learn about him and we can tell him about us.  Besides, there’s five of us and only one of him.”

              Carla sighed and took another drink from her mug.  “I guess you’re right,” she allowed.  “I’m just trying to keep the safety of the group in mind.  And I was hoping that today we could scout for some other locations, in case we need to leave, or at least get some more supplies.”

              Perry nodded.  “I’m sure we can do that,” he assured her.  “I was already thinking the same thing.  For now, let’s just eat breakfast.  I didn’t make all this oatmeal for nothing.”

 

              Elliot had woken up not much later and joined everyone for breakfast.  She’d been half-asleep when she walked through the living room, so she didn’t even realize who they were talking about at first when they kept mentioning Steve.  Carla quickly filled her in and once they had finished eating, they made their way into the living room, bringing with them a bowl for both Steve and Turk.

              The smell of food seemed to rouse Steve, who blinked at them all tiredly once he opened his eyes.  “Hey,” he said through a yawn.  “Thanks for a place to crash.”

              “Don’t mention it,” Perry told him, handing him the bowl.  “Here.  Eat.”

              Steve looked oddly touched that these complete strangers were feeding him, even after offering him shelter and treatment for his injuries.  “I’m Steve,” he said to JD, Carla, and Elliot, all of whom he had not yet been introduced to.  “You must be JD and I’m guessing you two are Carla and Elliot, though I don’t know who’s who.”

              “I’m Elliot,” Elliot said, blushing.  “It’s nice to meet you.”

Carla glanced at Elliot from the corner of her eye, knowing full well that she thought Steve was attracted.  She elbowed her subtly, reminding her that _they_ were together.  “Which makes me Carla.  Elliot’s wife.”

Steve smiled warmly, either oblivious to the tension or trying to diffuse it.  “Great,” he said genuinely.  “Turk told me you all worked at the hospital.  Guess I got lucky, stumbling on your place here.”

              “Definitely,” JD interjected, sitting down on the couch next to Perry.  “Turk was one of the best surgeons there, actually.  He’s amazing.”

              Turk blushed suddenly and, had he been sitting any closer to JD, he would have kicked him.  “Thanks, JD,” he said through gritted teeth, hoping he got the hint.

              “He didn’t tell me that,” Steve said thoughtfully, looking at Turk.  “How modest.”

              “I just do my best,” Turk sighed, imploring _anyone_ to change the subject.  Luckily, Carla did so without any prompting.

              “So, Steve, tell us about yourself,” she said in a no-nonsense tone that she reserved for difficult patients or for Dr. Kelso.

              “Uh, okay,” Steve said, looking a little surprised, but going with the flow.  “I’m from Chicago, I have a sister who lives in L.A., and I was a bartender.”

              “Any friends or other family who might come looking for you?” Carla asked in the same tone.

              “No,” Steve said slowly.  “Look, if you want me to leave, I will.  I didn’t mean to mess up what you guys have going here.”

              “Don’t go,” Turk said quickly, sitting forward.  “Carla’s just being overprotective.  Right, Carla?”

              Carla glared at Turk, but slowly turned back to Steve.  “Right,” she said begrudgingly.  “But so help me, if any harm comes to any of us because of you, the biters will be the last thing you’ll need to worry about.”

              “Yes, ma’am,” Steve said, his eyes a little wider than normal.  “You have my word.”

              Carla looked satisfied after that, and relaxed back into her seat.  Elliot took her hand reflexively, looking a little on-edge from all the conflict.

              “So,” JD said after a long, uncomfortable silence.  “Who wants to go scavenging?”

             

              It was decided that Perry, JD, Carla, and Elliot would drive up toward the mountains to search for possible shelter if they needed to leave the cabin.  Turk had volunteered embarrassingly quickly to stay at home with Steve.  It had gone without saying that they wouldn’t have left Steve alone, and he really wasn’t in much of a position to travel, even in the vehicle, so they all quickly agreed, especially JD.  He continued to shoot Turk smug, knowing looks until the four of them left, leaving Turk and Steve alone in the cabin.

              “Sorry about them,” Turk apologized just moments after the front door shut.

              “What are you sorry for?” Steve chuckled.  “They’re great.”

              Turk blushed.  “They come on a little strong, but they mean well,” he explained.  “Even Carla.”

              “Seriously, don’t worry about it,” Steve said, waving a hand.  “She’s just trying to protect her family.  I can respect that.”

              “I guess,” Turk agreed.  “She’s always been like that.  She can get kind of bossy, though.”

              Steve smiled.  “Maybe you need bossy sometimes,” he suggested.

              “It’s funny,” Turk said, for no reason in particular, “but I used to have a crush on her back when I started at the hospital.  She wouldn’t even give me the time of day.”

              “Oh?” Steve asked, trying not to seem too interested.

              “Yeah, she and I didn’t even really become friends ‘til she and JD got closer,” Turk told Steve.  “She helped him a lot in the beginning, but I didn’t see as much of her since I was surgical and JD was medical.  But all of us ended up being really good friends and she and Elliot fell in love and got married and then Perry and JD fell in love and got married, so… there’s that,” Turk finished lamely, knowing he sounded rather pathetic.

              “What about you?” Steve asked curiously.  “No girls at the hospital did it for you?”

              Turk made a noise halfway between a laugh and a snort, blushing slightly.  “Uh, no,” he said after a few moments.  “I came out about a year and a half ago.”

              Steve kept his expression unreadable, hiding his pleasant surprise.  “Good for you,” he said smoothly.  “So, let me rephrase the question.  No guys at the hospital did it for you?”

              “Not really,” Turk admitted.  “None at the hospital.”

              “None at the hospital,” Steve repeated.  “Any guys elsewhere?”

              Turk took a deep breath, forcing himself to say what he normally wouldn’t have had the courage to say.  “Just the one sitting across from me,” he said simply, sounding much more confident than he felt.

              Steve grinned.  “I was thinking the same thing.”


	8. Buy Yourself Another Day

Perry, JD, Carla, and Elliot were speeding down the highway in the Ford F-150 Turk had found at the grocery store.  None of them had ever seen it this way.  It was nearly empty apart from the abandoned vehicles and the occasional biters.  They hadn’t passed a single moving vehicle for miles and all of them sat in silence as Perry drove, deftly avoiding each obstacle they came across.  The only noise was the constant humming of the engine and the sound of the tires on the pavement.  It had been less than a week since the Outbreak hit the city and yet it looked as though civilization itself had collapsed, leaving buildings and roadways to slowly decay without regular maintenance.

              Some time ago, JD had turned on the radio, curious if anyone was still broadcasting.  They were greeted with a pre-recorded message which detailed the latest cities that had fallen and how to kill biters.  After listening to the message three times over, Perry turned the radio off.  He didn’t like the look on JD’s face when he heard that several Ohio cities had been overtaken.  He knew his mind was on his mother and Dan, but all he could do was hold his hand, wordlessly reassuring him that everyone was okay.

              None of them had spoken since then and the tension in the vehicle was palpable.  Perry considering stopping, letting everyone get some air, but something about being out in the open on the highway made him push on.  Realistically, it was better to stop here, where they could see for long stretches, but it was too strange, too foreboding.  Seeing the highway like this had unsettled all of them and Perry wanted to get up into the mountains early enough that they had plenty of daylight left.  They had packed enough supplies to get them into the next day, though they didn’t intend on being gone that long, but with the state of the world being what it was, they all thought it best to err on the side of caution.

              They had been driving for two hours, and had been silent for more than half that time, when Perry noticed the gas tank getting low.  “We’ll need to stop soon,” he announced, and JD jumped at the sudden sound.  Perry’s voice had broken him out of his thoughts, none of which were optimistic.  “We’re below a quarter tank.”

              The day before, Turk and Perry had been rooting through the garage to see if there was anything of use and they had found several full gas cans.  They’d loaded them all into the bed of the truck, though they knew they’d soon have to start siphoning gas from the abandoned cars.

              “Might as well do it now,” Carla replied in a somber tone.  “No sense in waiting until the fuel light comes on.”

              A few minutes later saw the truck pulled over onto the side of the road and Perry unloading one of the gas cans.  JD seated himself on the tailgate, swinging his legs silently.  Carla and Elliot went off in the opposite direction, deciding to search some of the abandoned cars for supplies. Perry glanced at JD often, unsure of what to say, though he knew he should say _something._

“Penny for your thoughts,” Perry finally said as he began filling the tank.

              JD kept his eyes on the ground and continued to swing his legs.  “You heard the radio,” he said quietly.

              “Yeah, I did,” Perry told him.  “But it doesn’t mean anything.  Our city was one of the first to fall and we’re doing just fine.”

              “Don’t you think one of them would have tried to call?” JD asked, finally looking up at Perry.

              “Our phones aren’t working very well,” Perry pointed out.  “It’s just a matter of time before cell service goes down completely.  There’s a good chance their phones aren’t working.  Besides, did _you_ try to call _them?_ ”

              Perry knew instantly that what he’d said was a mistake.  JD turned his face away from Perry, but not before Perry had seen the look of guilt on his husband’s face.

              “Shit,” Perry said under his breath as he closed the gas can and set it in the bed of the truck.  He quickly walked around to the tailgate and stood in front of JD, between his legs.  “Come on, sweetheart, don’t beat yourself up.  I didn’t mean it like that.”

              “They’re my family, too,” JD said sadly, still directing his gaze away from Perry.  “I didn’t even _think_ of calling them to see if they were okay.”

              “There’s been a lot going on,” Perry reminded JD gently, rubbing his arm.  “No one can blame you, JD.”

              JD closed his eyes.  “What if they’re dead, Perry?” he whispered.  “I never even got to say goodbye.”  His voice broke on the final word, tugging at Perry’s heartstrings.

              Perry wasn’t sure what to say, how to handle this situation, considering he had no other family he was close with.  “Please don’t cry,” he said weakly, still rubbing JD’s arm.  “Just tell me what you need from me.”

              JD shook his head.  “I don’t want to live like this,” he said, the smallest hint of desperation in his voice.  “I don’t want to worry whether or not the people I love are dead or alive.  I want us to be safe.”

              “That’s what I’m trying to make sure of,” Perry said seriously.  “That’s why we’re out here right now.  We have to have a plan in case we need to leave the cabin.  And that’s a very real possibility given how close to the city we are.  Coming up here, into the mountains, gives us more seclusion.  I promised I would keep us all safe, JD.  I’m not about to break that promise.”

              JD finally leaned forward into Perry’s chest and Perry wrapped his arms around him.  “It’s just hard to believe this is all really happening,” he said softly.  “I mean, this stuff shouldn’t be real.”

              Perry let out a bitter chuckle.  “I know, kid,” he agreed, pressing a kiss to the top of JD’s head.  “Believe me, I never thought for a second any of this was real.  But it is and the only choice we have is to fight.  We give up and they win.  That’s not happening.”

              “How are you so sure?” JD asked.  “You don’t even seem scared.  You’re _never_ scared.”

              “Newbie, I’ve never been so scared in my entire life,” Perry said seriously, pulling back to look JD in the eye.  “But I promised you that I would keep you and our friends safe.  I’ll make sure of that until we don’t have to worry about being safe anymore.”

              “I didn’t think it’d be so hard,” JD admitted.  “To just keep fighting.  Nothing really bad has even happened, not to us anyway, but I’m _tired,_ Perry.  We can only watch movies for so long.  Soon, it’s going to be even harder to distract ourselves and I’m not sure I can take it.”

              “JD, you are by _far_ the strongest person I know.  And brave.”  When Perry saw the look of disbelief on JD’s face, he continued.  “God, I remember your first few weeks as an intern.  You were so terrified you were having all the nurses do your procedures because you couldn’t bear to touch anyone.  I pretended not to notice because I knew, even then, that you had the potential to become a great doctor.  And you did.  Sure, you had some help along the way, but it’d be silly to think that any one of us could get by on our own.  But, Newbie, once you realized that you were _capable_ of being great, you _were_ great.  You just need to realize that again.”

              JD looked down and brushed away a tear.  “How is it you always know exactly what to say?” he said quietly.

              Perry cracked a smile and pulled JD into another hug.  “Because I love you, kid, that’s why.”

              The two of them stayed that way for a few minutes, just holding each other.  JD felt considerably better, though Dan and his mother were still on his mind.  He held onto the hope that Perry was right and that they just weren’t able to call him.  It had also made him feel better to know that Perry was just as scared as he was.  He decided that if Perry could be brave then he could be, too, and swore to himself that he would be stronger.

              Moments later, they heard shouting, and both Perry and JD jolted upright.  JD’s eyes went wide in horror when he saw Carla and Elliot sprinting toward them.  Behind them was a horde of biters, moving slowly but all together, as if they were a single entity.  There were more of them than JD had ever seen in one spot, even the ones that had cornered them in the hospital. 

              “Get in the truck!” Carla cried as she and Elliot got closer.

              Perry pulled JD off the bed of the truck and slammed it shut.  They both pulled their knives out of their pockets as a gut reaction and hurried around to the sides of the truck.  JD let out a surprised squeak as a biter seemed to come out of nowhere and lunged at him.  He heard Perry yell out his name as he fell to the ground.  He hit his elbow on the rough surface of the highway, but quickly rolled under the truck, ignoring the pain that shot through his arm.  JD fumbled for a few moments until he had a strong grip on his knife; he would be ready for the biter.  Sure enough, the groaning, hissing creature fell onto its stomach, driven by an inexplicable hunger for human flesh.  JD had never been more terrified in his life, but he remembered what he’d sworn to himself only moments ago.

              With as much force as he could muster, he drove his knife through the biter’s skull, the blow landing with a wet, flat sound.  The knife went through the biter’s rotting flesh easily and it stilled immediately, flattening out on the pavement.  JD pulled his knife from its head, his breath coming in fast, shallow gasps.  He let out a scream when he felt a hand grasp his ankle and start pulling him out from under the truck.  He kicked and flailed, searching for something to grab onto, but the biter was surprisingly strong.  He only hoped he avoided being bitten long enough to get himself free from its grip.  He was pleasantly surprised to see Perry hovering just above him when he found himself on the ground on the other side of the truck. 

              Perry put a finger to his lips, signaling JD to keep quiet.  JD did as he was told, his eyes wide with terror.  Slowly, Perry pulled JD to his feet and herded him into the truck, through the driver’s side.  JD climbed over into the passenger seat and Perry quickly slid in next to him.  JD looked over his shoulder and saw that Elliot and Carla had safely gotten into the backseat, and both of them looked unscathed.  None of them spoke until Perry started the truck and had sped miles down the road, putting as much distance as possible between themselves and the horde of biters that was inevitably still making its way toward them.

              JD’s entire body was shaking from fear and adrenaline, and he was grateful when Perry took his hand and held it tightly.  “Everyone all right?” Perry finally asked, glancing at the girls in his rearview mirror.

              “Just freaked out,” Carla said, her voice subdued.  She had her arms wrapped around Elliot, who seemed to be shaking even more than JD.  Her eyes were closed and her face was buried against Carla’s neck. 

              “What about you, Newbie?” Perry asked, still tense.  He looked over at JD, who kept his eyes on Perry’s hand as he silently took stock of what hurt on his body and what didn’t.

              “I think I dinged up my elbow pretty good,” JD finally said, noting the throbbing in his arm, “when I fell.  But other than that, I think I’m okay.”

              “We’ll have a look at it when we stop next,” Perry promised, squeezing JD’s hand.  “I didn’t mean to scare you back there, by the way.  When I grabbed your leg.”

              JD shook his head.  “I was just glad it was you and not one of them,” he sighed.  “I’ve never seen so many at once.  And they came out of nowhere.”

              “One minute, we were looking through cars, seeing which ones were unlocked, and the next, we were practically surrounded,” Carla spoke up.  “They don’t move very fast, but they’re quiet.  We have to be more aware.”

              “I hope Turk’s okay,” JD commented.  “I doubt the biters came from back home, but still… if there’s that many here, I can only imagine how many are in the city.”

              “We definitely need to find a place soon,” Perry said.  “We can’t stay at the cabin much longer.  We have to get out before it gets even worse.”

              Perry was right, JD thought.  As much as he wished they could stay at the cabin, a place that still felt like home, he knew it was no longer feasible.  They would have to gather their supplies, scavenge for more food, and leave.  He wondered how far they could go, or if there was any place that was really _safe_ anymore.  Judging by the list of major cities that had fallen – Chicago, New York, Seattle, Atlanta, the list went on – he very much doubted it.  Still, he trusted Perry’s judgement and knew that he would do everything in his power to keep them all safe.

              They drove for hours and eventually, JD felt enough at ease to fall asleep.  He didn’t dream, for which he was grateful, and when he woke, it was because Perry was gently shaking his shoulder.  “Wake up, Newbie,” he said quietly.  “We found a spot.”

              JD blinked at Perry, his eyes struggling to focus.  The first thing he registered was that his arm had somehow become even more painful and he winced when he tried to bend it.  Perry frowned as he watched, though he knew they’d packed pain relievers.  He slid out of the truck and walked around to the passenger side to help JD out.      

              “We’re staying here for the night – don’t want to chance running into that horde again.  Hopefully, it’ll have thinned out by morning,” Perry told JD, sliding an arm around his waist and leading him toward a large, impressive home. 

              Carla and Elliot were just walking out of the front door when Perry and JD reached it.  “Is that everything?” Carla asked, seeing Perry carrying the last two backpacks over his shoulder. 

              “All we have,” he confirmed.  “How’s the house?”

              “Completely clear,” Carla told him.  “We’ll be safe here.”

              JD yawned as they walked inside and Perry shut and locked the door behind them.  “Why don’t we all just get some rest,” Perry suggested.  “We can head out in the morning and get back to the cabin.”

              “Goodnight,” Carla called over her shoulder, already walking with Elliot up the stairs toward the bedrooms. 

              Perry and JD followed, finding a rather large bedroom at the end of the hall complete with an immaculate bathroom.  The first thing Perry did was set JD down on the bed and rummage through the backpacks until he found a bottle of Tylenol.  “This should help,” he told JD, handing him the pills and a bottle of water.  “Mind if I take a look?”

              JD shook his head as he swallowed the pills.  He felt foggy, like he was still half asleep.  He jerked his arm away when Perry gingerly touched his elbow, which was quite swollen.

“You might’ve fractured it,” Perry said regretfully.  “It’s already started to bruise.”  He sat up and pulled the sheet off the bed and JD moved as necessary, just watching Perry as he created a homemade sling.  “At least this way it’ll stay still during the night,” he told JD as he tied a knot behind his neck.  He took extra care not to jostle JD’s arm or touch his elbow directly as he secured the sling.

“Thanks,” JD said softly, wiggling his fingers.  “Hurts like hell.”

“Hopefully that Tylenol will kick in soon and you’ll be able to get some rest,” Perry said, brushing JD’s hair off his forehead.  “You want to lay down?”

JD nodded and Perry set their bags on the floor and lifted up the large comforter on the bed so JD could crawl underneath.  He curled up against Perry’s chest, adjusting his position until his arm was comfortable.  “You’re so good at taking care of me,” he murmured, his eyes already closing as Perry draped an arm over his waist.

“That’s because I like doing it,” Perry informed him.  “I don’t like it when you’re hurting.”

“Believe me, neither do I,” JD sighed.  “It’s not as fun as you might think.”

Perry chuckled.  “I’m just glad you’re okay, and all in one piece,” he told JD.  “Scared the hell out of me when you went under the truck.”

“I’m okay,” JD assured Perry, looking up at him.  “It was like when Elliot and I were at the hospital and we saw… Todd.  I didn’t even think; I just did what I had to do to save Elliot.  This was a lot scarier, though.”

“For you and for me,” Perry agreed.  “But you did great, Newbie.  I’m proud of you.”

JD smiled and lowered his head back down onto Perry’s shoulder.  “I hope Turk doesn’t worry about us too much.”

“I told him this was a possibility, us being gone overnight,” Perry said, rubbing JD’s back, careful to avoid touching his elbow.  “We’ll see him tomorrow.”

JD yawned again, starting to drift off.  “Thanks for protecting me,” he said tiredly.  “I love you, Perry.”

“I love you,” Perry echoed.  He kissed JD’s forehead before settling into the bed, pulling the covers over them a little more.  He wondered what had happened to the family who had lived here.  Wherever they were, he hoped they hadn’t fallen victim to the biters.  He couldn’t think of a worse way to go and swore to himself that he would never let that happen to any of them.


End file.
